Ex-NFA director-general faces fresh indictment

By Rich Chang / Staff reporter

Former National Fire Agency (NFA) director-general Huang Chi-min (黃季敏) was indicted yesterday by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on charges relating to alleged corruption and forgery in procurements.

The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said Huang managed a procurement project for disaster-direction communication platform vehicles in 2004. During bidding for the project, prosecutors allege that Huang showed favoritism toward Alcatel-lucent Taiwan International Standard Electronics, which benefited the company to the tune of more than NT$12 million (US$408,900).

Huang was indicted in December last year on charges of taking bribes from contractors in nine bids for disaster-prevention equipment. Prosecutors said the bribes totalled NT$19.24 million.

Shih Chien University associate professor Chin Li-peng (金力鵬), who prosecutors allege cooperated with Huang on several projects, and who was indicted with Huang in December, served as a supervisor of the communication platform vehicles project for the agency.

Prosecutors yesterday alleged that Chin received NT$5.7 million from the company and said they suspect that some of the money ended up in Huang’s pockets.

Meanwhile, former NFA deputy director-general Chen Wen-lung (陳文龍) and six other agency officials were indicted on forgery charges in connection with Huang’s case.